Method of attaching filter mouthpieces to cigarettes



Jam 28, 1958 K. KC'JRBER 2,821,199

METHOD OF ATTACHING FILTER MOUTHPIECES T0 CIGARETTES Filed June 22, 1954 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 K. KGRBER Jan, 28, 1958 METHOD OF ATTACHING FILTER MOUTHPIECES TO CIGARETTES Filed June 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent METHOD OF ATTACHING FILTER MOUTH- PIECES TO CIGARETTES Kurt Kiirber, Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany, assignor to Kurt Kiirber & Co. K.-G-, Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany Application June 22, 1954, Serial No. 438,533

Claims priority, application Germany September 22, 1953 6 Claims. (Cl. 131-94) This invention relates to the manufacture of cigarettes or the like provided with filter mouthpieces.

It has been proposed heretofore to produce filter cigarettes by arranging two wrapped tobacco rods in axial alignment and with a filter mouthpiece between the adjacent end of the rods on revolving drums and then bringing this assemblage in contact with an adhesive coated connecting band which afterwards is wrapped around the abutting joints of the mouthpieces and cigarettes.

it is an object of the present invention to first adhesively afiix the connecting band to the axially spaced end portions of two tobacco rods or cigarettes and then inserting into the space between the two adjacent ends of the two cigarettes a filter mouthpiece portion having twice the length of the mouthpiece of the completed cigarettes.

The present invention will now be described more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example two embodiments of a machine operating according to the method of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically a side view of the machine partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said machine, in which for the sake of clarity the magazines for cigarettes and for mouthpieces have been omitted.

Fig. 3 illustrates another embodiment of the invention showing a supply duct for mouthpiece portions having twice the length of a mouthpiece, and

Fig. 4 is a cross section through said duct along the line A-B.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there are provided two magazines 1a and 112 for cigarettes Z. The magazines are spaced apart from each other a distance 1' which corresponds to the approximate length of a mouthpiece portion which is twice as long as its final length of the mouthpiece will be in the completed cigarettes. Below the two magazines 1a and 1b, a suction drum 2 is arranged which rotates clockwise in a direction of the arrow 2' and is provided in its center portion with a collar 2a the width of which corresponds to the length of the mouthpiece portion. On both sides of the collar 2a, the drum 2 is provided on its circumference with approximately semicircular grooves extending in axial direction of the drum. These grooves are connected with suction ducts 2c which communicate with a suction passage 4 by means of a stationary suction duct 3 as long as ducts 2c are in registration with the duct 3.

The cigarettes Z are supplied from the two magazines and deposited into the grooves arranged in the drum at both sides of the collar 2a. The cigarettes pass between two stationary guide rails 5a, 5b which move the two axially aligned cigarettes opposite to each other in a lengthwise direction against the collar 2a. The strips 50 and 50! provided in the zone of this movement prevent in this arrangement a dropping of the cigarettes from the drum 2.

After the cigarettes resting in the groove have passed out of the zone provided with guide plates, the respective suction ducts 2 are connected to the stationary suction duct 3 so that the cigarettes Z are retained in the grooves by suction force.

At the place Z1 the cigarettes are then deposited into a groove of a drum 6 which rotates counterclockwise in direction of the arrow 6'. The suction duct 3 thus terminates just short of the place Z1 so that the cigarettes are no longer retained on the drum 2 but are now held securely in the grooves of the drum .6 by means of suction created in the suction ducts 6a provided in said drum. The suction ducts 6a are connected with a suction pipe -8 through the stationary suction duct 7 as long as they are in the zone of said duct 7. The pairs of cigarettes are now conveyed to the place Z2 by means of the drum 6.

At this place Z2 adhesive coated connecting bands 9a are adhesively aflixed to the end portions of the cigarettes facing each other. For this purpose a paper tape 9 is drawn from a spool 9b in the direction of the arrow 9, by the lower pair of rollers 9 which push the tape upwardly and this tape is severed into separate pieces at 90. These connecting bands 9a are supplied by the upper pair of rollers 9g to a suction drum 10 on which they are retained by means of suction created in the suction ducts 10a which through the stationary suction duct 11 are in communication with the suction pipe 12. The duct 11 terminates at the place Z2 so that the bands 9a in the meantime coated with an adhesive by the intermediary of adhesive applying cylinders 9d are caused to adhere to the end portions of the cigarettes.

The pairs of cigarettes together with the connecting bands adhering to their end portions are conveyed during the continuous rotary movement of the drum 6 to the place Z3 at which point the suction duct 7 is cut ofi from the radial ducts 6a, so that the connecting band together with the cigarettes adhering thereon areable .to be transferred to the drum 13 which rotates in clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 13. The retention on the drum 13 is effected by means of suction ducts 13a, as said ducts 13a are in communication with a suction pipe .15 through a stationary duct 14.

The drum 13 is provided in its center portion in the zone of the connecting band with a smooth peripheral surface, and at both sides of this zone are provided collars 13b and which have cigarette receiving grooves (also see Fig. 2) into which the cigarettes are deposited.

The drum 13 revolving, as stated previously, in the direct-ion of the arrow 13 conveys the cigarettes together with the connecting band from the place Z3 to the place M1 at which the mouthpiece portions are inserted into the space between the adjacent ends of the two cigarettes.

For this purpose there is arranged above this place M1 a mouthpiece magazine 16 which discharges the mouthpiece portions M and deposits them into the grooves of a drum 17 rotating counterclockwise in the direction of the arrow 17. Suction ducts 17a open into the grooves of the drum 17 which ducts are in communication with a stationary suction duct 18 as long as they remain in the range of this connecting duct 18 which .is connected with the suction pipe 18a and terminates short of themouthpiece assemblage from the place M1 to the place M2, the connecting band is wrapped around the mouthpiece and the adjoining end portions of the cigarettes by means of folding devices 21. This wrapping operation is a known procedure shown and described in an appli'cation Serial No.f'338,360 to Schubert also assigned to the' assignee Iof the present invention, now United States Patent No. 2,714,384, issued August 2, 1955, and does not constitute a part of this invention, and, therefore, isnot described in detail. To understand the functioning of the machine, it may be stated, however, that the folding members as indicated by dotted lines are controlled by stationary cams 21a and 21b in such a manner that their piv'otable free'ends are successively moved over the place of joining and thus cause the connecting band 'tojbewrapped around the cigarettes and the mouthpiece portion therebetween.

jAt the place' M2 there is provided a rotating cutting knife"22which severs the mouthpiece portion substantially midway of its length so that two completed cigarettes each provided with a mouthpiece are formed which by means of a chute 23 are deposited onto a conveyorbeltj24 after the suction ducts 13a have left the suction channel 14. Traveling on this belt, the finished mouthpiece cigarettes are then carried to a collecting magazine not shown. I

The described machine may be driven, for instance,

in the'following way. The driving motor 25 over a chain or belt drive 27 rotates the'drum 13; over a drive 28 puts the suction cylinder in motion; and over a drive 28a moves the conveyor belt 24. Mounted on the shaft of the .drum 6 is a gear 29 which on the one hand is in engagement with a gear'30 carried by the shaft of the suction drum 2 and on the other hand with a gear 31 mounted on the shaft of the drum 13. Said gear 31 in turn is engaged by a gear 32 mounted on the shaft of the suction drum 17. It is obvious that suitably dimensioned pulleys would be employed to drive the various drums in proper timed relation in a manner evident to one having ordinary skill in the art, notwithstanding the illustration in Fig. 1 which is solely diagrammatic.

In the shown embodiment of the invention the connecting band 9a together with two axially spaced and axially aligned cigarettes adhering thereon is delivered to-the drum 13 at the place Z3 in such a way that the connecting band comes to lie flat against the circumference of the drum. However, there may also be provided grooves on the peripheral surface of the drum 13 for receiving the connecting bands 9a, so that when deposited into these grooves, the connecting band already embracesthe end portions of the two cigarettes approximately half-way around their circumference.

A particular advantage of the afore described method in comparison with the known method mentioned in the introduction of this specification consists in the followmg: a

In the known method the cigarettes and the mouthpiece have to be carried for a long distance without being retained by the connecting band. The danger then exists that cigarettes and mouthpieces come in mutual misalignment so that for instance their axes do not coincide any more. In the present invention, however, the end portions of the cigarettes immediately at the beginningof the conveying operation become immovably retained .and during their further travel an axial displacement as well as radial misalignment of the cigarettes are avoided by the connecting band adhesively aflixed to them. As soon as the filter pieces have been inserted into the spaces between the ends of the cigarettes facing each other the connecting band is completely wrapped around the place of joining so that any risk of dislocation of the cigarette ends and the mouthpiece, respectively, is practically eliminated.

Afurther advantage of the method according to the invention will be evident when considering that inactual practice it is unavoidable that the lengthwise dimensions of the cigarettes and the double-filter mouthpiece vary more or less. If in the known method for example in case of a minus-difference, i. e., in a deficiency of length, of the three involved parts in comparison to their actually required length these parts are moved together then a loose cigarette-filter rod is produced when the connecting band is wrapped around the two places of joining. In the opposite case, i. e., when the cigarettes and the double-filter piece show greater lengths than normally required, the cigarettes are excessively lengthwise compressed, which is also not desired.

In the device according to the invention, however, the cigarette rods are first pushed against the collar 2:: which always is of equal invariable length, and afterwards only the filter mouthpiece portions are inserted between the cigarettes so that any varying lengths of the cigarettes and mouthpieces cannot exert a compounding effect. Any differences in length of the filter mouthpiece portions may suitably be corrected according to Figs. 3 and 4 for instance by an arcuate channel 35 which is provided betweenthe drum 17 and the drum 13 and at the same time also-serves for the parallel alignment of the filter mouthpiece, portion M. The width 35a of=the channel 35 is dimensioned such that the mouthpieceportions vM are forcefully moved through this channel, whereby differences in length, which can only be very minute considering the. short length of the mouthpiece portions, are compensated by a compressive influence.

The mouthpiece portions M are carried by the suction drum 17, which in this case rotates in the direction of the arrow 17", and are delivered to a second suction drum 36 which passes the mouthpiece portions through the channel 35 in the direction of the arrow 36'.

By means of this enforced movement through the stationary'channel 35 the width of which is adjusted to the shortest length of the mouthpiece portions, the small plus-differences or positive tolerances of the mouthpiecelengths eventually present are eliminated due to the effected compression of said pieces in axial direction.

After the mouthpiece portions M have passed the channel 35in this manner, they are deposited at M1 on the suction drum 13 and are pushed laterally between the cigarettes Z placed on this drum.

In this manner it is achieved that a filter mouthpiece portion of always the same length is inserted between two axially aligned cigarettes spaced apart by an equal distance. Consequently, the cigarettes always are of uniformly firm structure.

An essential advantage of the invention finally consists in that the cigarettes together with the connecting band can be deposited in deeper grooves of the drum 13 in order to receive the filter piece than this has been possible with the known method. Thereby it is achieved that a lateral displacement of the double-filter from the axis of the cigarette is avoided and the finished cigarettes do not show any air space at the side of the cigarette between filter piece and connecting band.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing example.

What I claim is:

1. In a method of manufacturing filter mounthpiece cigarettes or the like, the steps of feeding two cigarettes in axial spaced arrangement and in axial alignment to a circuitous pathway, attaching to the spaced adjacent ends of said axial aligned cigarettes a flat connectingband adhesively coated on one side thereof which bridges the space between said adjacent ends of said cigarettes transferring said cigarettes and connecting band to another pathway, feeding to said second pathway in timed relation for depositing in said space between said cigarettes a filter mouthpiece portion having a length to fill the fiat connecting band around said filter mouthpiece portion and the adjacent ends of said cigarettes, and then finally dividing said cigarette and filter mouthpiece portion into two parts by cutting transversely through said filter mouthpiece portion to form two complete filter mouthpiece cigarettes.

2. In a method of manufacturing filter mouthpiece cigarettes or the like, the steps of feeding two cigarettes in axial spaced arrangement and in axial alignment to a circuitous pathway, axially moving said two cigarettes toward each other until a space of predetermined axial length has been established between the cigarette ends facing each other, feeding to said pathway in timed relation attaching to the spaced adjacent ends of said axial aligned cigarettes a fiat connecting band adhesively coated on one side thereof which bridges the space between said adjacent ends of said cigarettes, transferring said cigarettes to another circuitous pathway feeding to said last mentioned pathway and in inserting said space between said cigarettes a filter mouthpiece portion having a length to fill the entire space between said cigarettes, then wrapping said fiat connecting band around said filter mouthpiece portion and the adjacent ends of said cigarettes, and then finally dividing said cigarette and filter mouthpiece portion into two parts by cutting transversely through said filter mouthpiece portion to form two complete filter mouthpiece cigarettes.

3. In a method of manufacturing filter mouthpiece cigarettes, the steps comprising positioning two cigarettes in axial spaced arrangement and in axial alignment to a circuitous pathway, feeding to said pathway in timed relation a fiat connecting band adhesively coated on one side to afiix said band along a line contacting the circumference of the two adjacent ends of said two cigarettes in such a manner that the connecting band bridges a space equal to two lengths of a filter mouthpiece between said adjacent ends of the two cigarettes transferring said cigarettes to the connecting band attached thereto to another pathway, feeding to said second pathway in timed relation for depositing a filter mouthpiece portion having a length of twice the filter mouthpiece in the space between said axial aligned cigarettes, wrapping said flat connecting band around the circumference of said filter mouthpiece portion and the ends of the cigarettes abutting said mouthpiece portion, and then finally dividing the cigarette mouthpiece assemblage formed into two pieces by cutting through the center of said filter mouthpiece portion.

4. In a method of manufacturing filter mouthpiece cigarettes, the steps comprising positioning two cigarettes in axial spaced arrangement and in axial alignment to a circuitous pathway, axially moving said cigarettes toward each other until a space of predetermined length has been created between the ends of the cigarettes facing each other, feeding to said pathway in timed relation for attaching a fiat connecting band adhesively coated on one side thereof along a line contacting the circumference of the two adjacent ends of said two cigarettes in such a manner that the connecting band bridges a space equal to two lengths of a filter mouthpiece between said adjacent ends of the two cigarettes transferring said cigarettes and the connecting band attached thereto to an other pathway, feeding and depositing a. filter mouthpiece portion having a length of twice the filter mouthpiece in the space between said axial aligned cigarettes, wrapping said flat connecting band around the circumference of said filter mouthpiece portion and the ends of the cigarettes abutting said mouthpiece portion, and then finally dividing the cigarette mouthpiece assemblage formed into two pieces by cutting through the center of said filter mouthpiece portion.

5. In a method of manufacturing filter mouthpiece cigarettes, the steps of feeding two cigarettes in axial spaced alignment to a pathway, axially moving said cigarettes toward each other until a space of predetermined axial length has been established between the cigarette ends facing each other, feeding a fiat adhesively coated connecting band to said pathway in timed relation with the travel of said two cigarettes therealong so that said connecting band will be deposited on the peripheral end portions of said cigarettes and will bridge the space between adjacent spaced ends of said cigarettes, transferring said cigarettes and adhesively coated connecting band to another pathway for movement therealong, feeding to said last named pathway in timed relation with the movement of said cigarettes and connecting band therealong filter mouthpiece units of a length equal to the space between said cigarettes to substantially fill said space, next wrapping said flat connecting band around said filter mouthpiece portion and the adjacent ends of said cigarettes, and finally dividing said cigarette and filter mouthpiece portion by cutting the mouthpiece portion transversely to form two complete filter mouthpiece cigarettes.

6. In a method of manufacturing filter mouthpiece cigarettes, the steps in sequence comprising feeding two cigarettes in axially aligned spaced relation to a circuitous pathway, moving said cigarettes about said pathway to a first station, applying adhesively coated connecting bands to the peripheral portions of the adjacent ends of said cigarettes at said first station, moving said cigarettes and united connecting band to a second station, transferring said cigarettes and connecting band to another circuitous pathway at said second station moving said cigarettes and connecting band to a third station, depositing filter mouthpiece units between said cigarettes at said third station, moving said cigarettes, mouthpiece filter unit and connecting band along said circuitous pathway, wrapping said adhesively coated band about said filter unit and inner ends of said cigarettes during their travel about said circuitous pathway, and finally severing said assembly by cutting the filter mouthpiece unit intermediate its ends transversely to form two complete filter tip cigarettes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,999,911 May Apr. 30, 1935 2,002,886 Edwards May 28, 1935 2,150,512 May Mar. 14, 1939 2,162,424 Edwards June 13, 1939 2,166,486 Edwards July 18, 1939 2,194,378 Bernd Mar. 19, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 687,878 Great Britain Feb. 25, 1953 

